Electrical timing system and apparatus



April 21, 3 J. H. HALL 2,635,689

ELECTRICAL TIMING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Aug. 50, 1950 2SHEETS-SHEET l I I L 5 1;. i I I T J6 FL 4 :il 6 4.9 40 6, g 029 25 45 3Z5 24 lime/#02 z/ZW/ar/i 5 0/] mama: 2pm A7510]??? April 1, 1953 J. H.HALL 2,635,689

ELECTRICAL TIMING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Aug. 50, 1950 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 1 V 4/4 J/fi' fiiueiziafl tfdiiif'fy 1y0// Patented Apr.21, 1953 ELECTRICAL" TIMING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS James lin n,ke-311111111. assignor to ra steel Metallurgical Corporation,

N orth Chicago,

111., a corporationof New York Application-August 30, 1950, Serial No.182,346 1 Claim. (01.161 4) This invention relates to. an electricaltiming system and. apparatus adapted to use in such a system, and moreparticularly to a system and apparatus adapted to uses, such. asthecharging ofstorage batteries, andwhich afford extreme simplicity inoperating. technique and skill: required, as well. as safetyfactors.fortheprotection ofthe equipment, such as-batteries, with which theyare. used.

Some classes and types of apparatus, such. as

electrically driven industrial trucks, utilize store age batteriesas apower source and are subject to somewhat varying amounts of "use duringWVOlk': ingperiods In. order to keep. the batteries charged for such.service, they are charged during the time intervals between workingperiods; and with-as little. attention as possible. My disclosed timingsystem and apparatus are 'WBH adapted automatically to affordthedesired'controls and safety factors for-such battery charging. andlike service. In addition to providing for ease and simplicity in makingthe required electrical connections, my-disclosed system andapparatusaf: fordvsimplicity in making adjustmentsfor start.- ing; Inaddition, the system. and apparatus provide for sequential. andautomatically effected controls during operation, andfor stoppingopera-t tion at the end of an. operating cycle.

One of the general "objects ofthis. invention is to-provide atimingsystemand apparatus adapted to simplicity of operation andwhich-are suitedto the" automatic control ofelectrical: operations,such' as the charging of; storage batteries;

As another and more specific object, my invention haswithin its purviewthe provision; of: a system A embodying a "plurality of time controlunits, one of which determines'a maximum period of-operation; and theotherof which is'for. the determination of a period less than the saidmaximumvand started-upon the occurrence of a pre-. determined event.

My-invention has for another object .the provi-' sion of-a system as setforth in the preceding object and wherein thetime control. units are.set to their-normal starting positions by movement of a-single controlelement.

Another object of. this invention is to provide a time control switchmechanism embodying two time control switches adapted to actuation forefiecti'ng an initial setting by'asingleicontroli elemerit, and" soconstructed and arranged that-"one ofithe time-control switches isautomatically re turnd -to itsstarting position while the'other is.

being adj uste d'to a selected starting position;

lt- -isa. further. object I of my invention to provide a; timecontrolled battery charging system which provides 'aypredeterminedmaximum time period for charging the battery at a selected highcharging; rate, and a predetermined maximum time period for chargingthebattery at a lower rate if andwhen the battery voltage is brought uptoaddefin ed value.-

Other, objects and advantages of thisinvention will be apparent also,from the -:foll0wing description of' an exemplary embodiment of myinvention disclosed-for illustrative purposes by reference to theaccompanying two sheets 'ofdrawings, in which Fig.-v 1 is a top planview ofa preferred embodiment; of; my timing apparatus; wherein, partsare cut-away toshow detailsof the illustrated struc-. ture;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side1view with certain parts shown insection'to-illustrate the timing apparatus;

Fig. 3is a fragmentary side sectional View taken substantially on a line33 of Fig. 1 and in the direction indicated by arrows;

Fig. 4is a schematic circuit diagramof electrical; apparatus, adapted.tothe charging of storage batteries; and embodying the timing apparatusdepicted inFig, 1;

Figz5'isafragmentary top sectional view taken substantially on a line5+5 Of'Fig. 2 and in the direction indicatedby, arrows; and.

Fig. fi'isaa fragmentary'end view in elevation, takensubstantiallyasiindicated.byra line 6-6 in Fig; 5andaccompanying arrows.

Considered generally, the exemplary embodiment of my invention which isillustrated herein for illustrative purposes includes timing apparatusH): which controls periods of. operation of elec-. tricalapparatus, suchas a battery charging systemwhich is; depicted schematicallyin Fig. 4.vIn the 'disclosedqsystem and: apparatus, the, timing apparatusrl'fl' isconnected "in seriesfwith the input circuit. to a battery chargingtransformer 12 and associated rectifierelements l3.for supplying directcurrent to output leads for battery charging and like purposes; Thetiming. device l0,in thepresent instance, includes two timingswitches I4 and i5; one of. which determines a selected maximum operating time forthesystem, while the other'determines a preselected: shorter time periodand is utilized for determining the period of the finish charge, afterthe battery voltage reaches a predetermined value.

Referring in greater-detail to-the structure of my disclosed timingapparatus In which is illusstrated in, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6,andasshown aesacse diagrammatically in Fig. 4, this apparatus includes ahousing [5 made of sheet metal and having a cover ll and a mountingpanel 18 which is supported internally of the housing in spacedrelationship to the cover. At one end of the housing, mounting plates l9and 26 are supported in spaced relationship to one another and in spacedrelationship to the panel [8 by posts 22 and spacing collars 23. At theother end of the housing, similar mounting plates 24 and 25 aresupported below the panel 18, in spaced relationship to the panel and inspaced relationship to one another by posts 26 and spacing collars 2'].

The panel 18 and the mounting plates l9 and 20 have aligned bearingbores 23, 29 and 30 therein which support shafts 32 and 33 in axiallyaligned relationship; the shafts 32 and 33 being drivingly connected bya friction clutch 3t located between the mounting plates l9 and 20.Similarly, aligned bearing bores 35, 36 and 3'! in the panel l8 and themounting plates 24 and 25 respectively support shafts 33 and 39 inaxially aligned relationship; the latter shafts being drivinglyconnected by a friction clutch 40 located between the mounting plates 2%and 25.

As diagrammatically depicted in Fig. 4, the shafts 33 and 39 aredrivingly connected by motors 32 and t3, which motors are preferably ofthe self-starting synchronous type and may have the same or diiferentoperating speeds, depending upon the range of operating periods desired.By way of example, the timing period for the motor 42 in the presentinstance is approximately three hours while the motor 33 may time aperiod up to nine hours. Although not illustrated in detail herein, themotors 32 and 53 are usually connected to the respective shafts 33 and39 through gearing such that the maximum period which is to be timed byeither motor produces somewhat less than one revolution of each of theshafts 33 and 39 during the timed interval.

In my disclosed structure, the clutch (is includes a driving plate asand a driven plate 35 which are drivingly connected by an interveningring 46 of friction material. Likewise, the clutch 48 has a drivingplate 4? and a driven plate 43 drivingly connected by an interveningring 49 of friction material. In addition to serving as clutch plates,the driven plates 45 and 48 serve as switch actuating cams havingperipheral cam surfaces Fill and 52, respectively.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, bell crank levers 53 and 5 3 are supportedfor rotational movement on mounting posts 55 and 56. The bell cranklever 53 has an arm 5?, at the extending end of which is a cam engagingend portion 58 aligned for engagement with the cam surface 50. Anotherarm 59 of the bell crank lever 53 engages a resilient switch arm Gil,which switch arm normally biases the bell crank lever in a directionsuch that it holds the cam engaging end portion 58 of the arm 5'5 incontact with the cam surface 59. The bell crank lever 51% is similarlyconstructed and arranged, and has arms 62 and 63, the former of whichhas a cam engaging end portion 64 aligned for engagement with the camsurface 52, and the latter of which engages a resilient switch arm 65. V

The cam surfaces 59 and 52 include notches t6 and 61, one end of each ofwhich is terminated by an abrupt shoulder, and theiother end of whichcurves gradually into the substantially circular cam surface, wherebyrotational move- 4 ment of each of the cams from a selected position andin the direction indicated by arrows in Fig. 5 holds the switch contactsclosed until the cam engaging end portion of the bell crank drops intothe notch to effect an abrupt break.

As also shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a strip of insulating material as ismounted within the housing and secured to extending portions of themounting plates 59 and 24. This strip of insulating material serves asan insulating support for switches which include the resilient switcharms 68 and those switch arms each being secured at one end to theinsulating strip by fastening means such as screws 69 and H3. At theopposite ends of the resilient arms 59 and 85, contacts 12 and 13 aresecured thereto in alignment for engagement with stationary contacts isand 15, which latter contacts are also secured to the insulating strip58.

From the foregoing description, it may be readily understood that therespective cams are driven by the motors 42 and 43 at predeterminedrates. With the disclosed structure, the switch contacts associated witheach of the cams are held closed during the major portion of onerevolution of each of the cams. At the end of a timed period, the camengaging portions of the bell crank arms drop into the cam notches toopen the respective contacts. The rate for each cam being predetermined,the timing of selected intervals less than that required for onerevolution of each of the cams can be timed by selecting the startingposition of each cam. In order that the positions of the cams may bereadily adjusted without turning the motors and any intervening drivemechanism, the friction clutches 3E and 40 have been provided.Additionally, and to adapt the disclosed timing apparatus to use in thedisclosed system, I have provided a mechanism for setting the cams totheir starting positions.

As depicted in Figs. 1 and 2, gears i6 and 11 are secured to the shafts32 and 38, respectively, and upon which shafts the combination cam andclutch plates 45 and 48 are drivingly mounted. The gears 16 and Ti arecarried between the panel [8 and cover I? within the housing and are indifferent planes, so as to be adapted to engagement by pinions l3 and i9mounted in adjacent and concentric relationship on a shaft 80. The shaft88 extends through the cover ll and is supported for rotation in bearingbores 82 and-83 in a supporting strip 84 and in the panel IS; the

supporting strip 8:3 being secured to the panel I8 and spaced therefrom.i

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pinions 18 and 79 are disposed betweenthe supporting strip 84 and the panel I8, with space provided for axialmovement of the shaft 88. Normally the pinions are biased by a leafspring 85 to a position such that they are out of engagement with thegears Hi and H, and the pinion 28 engages the support strip 84 to limitmovement of the shaft in one direction. When the shaft is moved axiallyagainst the biasing force of the leaf spring 85, a shoulder 86 thereonengages the surface of the panel E8 to limit the movement to a positionin which the pinion i8 is drivingly engaged with the gear '56 and thepinion i9 is drivingly engaged with the gear Ti.

A manually operable knob 81 is secured to the outer end of the shaft foreffecting both axial and rotational movement of the shaft. Duringrotational movements of the shaft 80, the cams are turned to theirrespective starting positions. In the disclosed timing apparatus I haveprovided a calibrated disc 88 on the'shaft 38, which'disc.

chosen so that a relatively small amount ofmove ment of-the gear 'I'Iwill require sufficient rotation of the shaft 80 and knob 81 to turn thegear 16 to its starting position determined by the portion 90.

In the disclosed system and apparatus, the timing switch I5, whichembodies the cam 45 and the setting gear 16 for eifecting the timing ofa predetermined and relatively short period, is utilized for determiningthe time of the finish charge. The other switch I4, which is driven bythe motor 43 and adjustable through the action of the gear TI to aposition selected by observation of indicia on the calibrated disc 88,is utilized for determining an over-all or maximum charging period.

As shown in Fig. 4, input leads 02 and 93 are adapted to connection to apower source through a connector plug 94. A line switch having blades 95and 9B is connected in series with the input leads. A fuse 91 ispreferably connected in series with one of the input leads and a voltmeter 98 is connected acros the input leads to provide a designation ofthe line voltage. The input lead 92 is connected directly to a primarywinding 09 of the transformer I2 when the line switch is closed.

The contacts I3, 15, I2 and T4 of the timing switches I4 and I5 areconnected in series and those series-connected switch contacts areconnected in series with the input lead 93 between that input lead andan auxiliary primary winding I of the transformer I2. As an additionalelement in the circuit between the series-connected contacts of thetiming switches and the primary winding of the transformer, anadjustable impedance I02 is provided. This impedance is normallyshort-circuited by contacts I03 and I04 of a relay having an actuatingelectromagnet I 05. As is generally understood in the art, the auxiliaryprimary winding I00 is tapped and is provided so that compensation maybe made for variations in line voltage and aging of the rectifierelements.

The motor 43 which operates the timing switches I4 for determining theover-all or maximum time period has an operating winding I05 connectedacross the input leads through the series-connected timing contacts, sothat after the initial setting of the timing switches, the motor 43operates from the time the line switch is closed. An operating windingI0! of the motor 42, however, has one end connected directly to one ofthe input leads, while the other end is connected to the other inputlead through normally open contacts I03 and I08 of the relay actuated byelectromagnet I 05. Thus, the operation of the timing switch I5 isdependent upon closing of the contacts I03 and I08 by energization ofthe electromagnet I05. When such energization of the electromagnet I05occurs, the short circuit across the impedance I02 is broken to connectthe impedance in series with the primary winding of the transformer,thereby reducing the input current to the transformer. In the disclosedsystem, energization of the electromagnet I05 is controlled by a voltageresponsive relayhaving'an: actuate ingrelectromagnet I09gand :normallyopen con-. tacts H0 and H2.)

Asecondarywinding I I3 of the transformer I2 7 has its ends connected tothe rectifier elements I3 and is center-:tapped so as to provide fullwave.

rectification; the direct current therefrom being delivered to outputleads 4 and. H5; .In the.

present instance, a connector plug I I6 is provided on the output leadsto facilitate the making of connections to a battery which is to becharged. An .ammeter I I! is connected in. series :with the output lead-I I4 and a volt meter I I8 is connected across the output leads. Also,the actuating electromagnet I09 of the voltage responsive relay isconnected across the output leads I I4 and I I5.

With the disclosed system and apparatus the timing switches are set totheir starting positions by pressing the knob 81 inwardly and turning itwhile watching the indicia on the disc 88 through the opening 89. Theoperation of the single knob effects the setting of both timingswitches. The main line switch may then be closed to start the chargingcycle. This starts the operation of the timing switch I4 for determiningthe over-all or maximum period for charging the battery. If and when thebattery voltage reaches a predetermined value during the charging cycle,the voltage responsive relay will effect closure of the contacts I I0and I I2, thereby to energize the electromagnet I05, with which thelatter contacts are connected in series. The energization of theelectromagnet I05 connects the impedance I02 in the primary circuit ofthe transformer to limit the charging rate and also starts the timingswitch I5. The opening of the contacts of either timing switch breaksthe input circuit to the primary winding of the transformer and therebystops the operation of the system upon the expiration of either timeperiod.

With this arrangement, the maximum charging period is limited to apre-selected time. If, however, the battery approaches its fully chargedcondition in a time less than the maximum, the charging rate is reducedfor providing a finish charge, and the duration of that finish charge islimited.

While I have illustrated a preferred e1nbodi ment of my invention,modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes withinthe scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A timer comprising two separate electric timing motors, a cam for eachmotor, gearing and clutch means connecting each motor and thecorresponding cam to drive the same, one motor driving one cam over onetravel range corresponding to one timing period, the other motor drivingthe other cam over another traveling range corresponding to anothertiming period, the other timing period being longer than the one timingperiod, a pair of electric switches controlled by said cam, each camhaving its own switch, said switches being respectively operated at thetermination of their respective cam controlled timing periods, a singlemanual control, gears associated with said manual control and movableinto engagement with the gear drive for said two cams for simultaneouslymoving said two cams toward one end of their respective travel ranges,the manually controlled gears for said one cam having a portion thereoffree of gear teeth and the gear ratio being such that said one camreaches its end of its travel range when said other cam has only reachedan intermediate point, said manual control being susceptible to furthermanipulation to move said other cam any desired amount after said onecam has been reset without disturbing said one cam.

JAMES H. HALL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NameDate Ogden Sept. 26, 1922 Number Number Number Name Date Woodbridge Dec.23, 1930 Paschen et a1 Mar. 29, 1932 Brown et a1. Dec. 10, 1940 AmsdenDec. 31, 1940 Gruettner Sept. 15, 1942 Maris Apr. 18, 1944 Medlar Dec.21, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 11, 1946

